Refrigerating apparatus



June 3, 1930. HULL 1,761,040

REFRIGERAT ING APPARATUS Filed April 30, 1924 Patented June '3, .1930

U I E-o STATES PATENT OFFICE 'EARBY B. HULL, O]? DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FRIGID- AIRE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE nnrnreanarme APPARATUS Applicationffiled April 30,

The present invention relates to a refrigcrating apparatus and particularly to 1mprovements in'a unit which alternately functions as an evaporator and then as a condenser.

One of the objects of the present invention is to increase the efiiciency of the evaporator condenser unit by constructing'said unitln.

out invention will be apparent from the fol lowing description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,- wherein a pre- .2 ferred form of embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown. V

In the drawings 2 4 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a refrigerator cabinet showing the improved type of refrigeratin apparatus.

Fig. 2 isasectiona view taken on theline 22 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the evaporator-condenser used in the system.-

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section of one end of the evaporator-condenser. Referring to the drawin s: 20 is a refrigerator cabinet including a ood compartment 21 and a cooling compartment 22, suitably insulated from one another b insulating wall 23 and from the exterior y insulation 24. The compartment 21 and the compartment 22 are provided with openings 26 and 27 which carry tubes 28 and 29, which form passages for the circulation of relatively warm air from the compartment 21 to the compartment 22, and the cold-air passage from the compartment 22 to the compartment 21, respectively. The compartments 21 and 22 form an L-shaped wall 30 carrying insulation .31 which in turn carries an L-shaped frame 32.

The wall 31 and frame 32 form a wall for a' machine compartment 33. I The refrigerat- Further obj ects and advantages of the pres-' 1924;. Serial No. 710,130.

ing apparatus 34 is partly located within the machine compartment 33 and a portion thereof is included in cooling compartment 22, there being an opening 35 in the vertical arm of the'L-shaped wall 30' and insulation 31 thru which a portion of the refrigerating apparatus 34 extends from the machine compartment 33 to the cooling compartment. 22. The refrigerating apparatus 34 includes a frame36 pivoted at 37 to a bracket 38 on the frame 32. Frame 36 carries a post 40 which supports a generator-absorber 41. Frame 36 also carriesa tubular arm 42 which projects thru the, opening 35 and carries an evaporator-condenser 43 located within the cooling compartment 22. Frame 36 carries pipes 44, 45 and 46 at a portion thereof, which is adjacent the opening 35 One end of pipe 44 is connected with a water receiver 47 located withinthe machine compartment 33 and at the other end with a reservoir '48 which is" carried above the evaporator-condenser 43. Reservoir 48 is provided with a plurality of' outlet pipes 49, for conducting water to the upper surface of the evaporator-condenser 43. One end of pipe 45 is connected to a mercury valve'50 located in the machine compartment 33 while the other end of said pipe is connected to the upper end of a head 51 of evaporator-condenser 43. Pi e 46 is also con nected at one end with the va ve 50, the other end is connected to the lower end' of head 51-. Pipes 44, 45 and 46 extend thru the passage 35. Generator absorber 41 is connected by inlet pipe 53 and outlet pipe 54 with the valve 50.

The water receiver 47 is provided with two compartments 55 and 56 separatedfrom one another by wall 57. Pipe 44 is connected with compartment 55 and a pipe 58 connects 90 the compartment56 with the generator 41. A water tank 60 is located above the receiver 47 and is provided with an inlet pipe 61 and an overflow pipe 62. A spout 63 is adapted to conduct water from the tank 60 into either compartments 55 or 56.

The entire refrigeratingapparatus 34 including the frame 36, generator-absorber 41, valve 50, receiver 47, evaporator-condenser 43, and the connecting. pipes, comprisea unit 100.

thru. When the refrigerator is tilted to itsv which is pivotally mounted upon the bracket 38, at 37.

The evaporator-condenser 43 includes 'a' plurality of tubes which are arranged in pairs and each tube 65 of the pair is suitably secured together such as by welding. The tube 65, being substantially horizontally disposed, provides a trough or passage 67 which is adapted to receive the pipes 49. The outer end of the tubes 65 are all connected, as by welding, with the head 51. The other end of the tubes 65 are closed as shown at 68 and this end is secured to a water receiver 69 which forms the end of the tubular arm 42. The water receiver 69 is provided with notches 70, whereby the water which is adapted to be received in passages 67 may flow unobstructedly from the passage 67 into the water receiver 69. The pairs of tubes 65 are spaced from one another to provide an air passage 71 therebetween. v

The function of the mercury valve is to control the flow of refrigerant in the pipes 45, 46, 53'and 54. When the refrigerating apparatus -is in the position shown, the valve 50 is tilted to such position that the mercury therein immerses the ends of pipes 46 and 54 to prevent the passage of'refrigerant thereother position, communication is established between the pipes 46 and 54. A cup 73 carried by a'wall of compartment 22 is adapted to receive a stud 74 on the head 51. This cup receives a small quantity of water from the pipe 49 in a manner not shown. After the apparatus has been moved to the position shown, water is frozen in cup 73 and thereby locks the stud 74 in position for a purpose to be described. A suitable heating coil (not shown) is located within the generator-absorber 41 and is connected by terminals 75 and 76 which are adapted to dip into mercury cups 7 7and 78 respectively. Water from the compartment 56 of receiver 47 is adapted to be conducted thru'pipe 58 over or thru the generator-absorber 41 in any suitable manner whence it drains thru a pipe 79 into the basin 80'formed by the frame 32. A pipe 81 drains the basin 80.

In the position shown in Fig. 1, the terminails 75 and 76 arenot connected with the mercury within the cups 77 and 78, therefore, the heating coil is inoperative, the refrigerating apparatus being tilted to such a position that the water from the tank 60 18 being conducted by spout 63 into compartment 56. In this manner water is conducted thru the pipe 58 to cool the generator-absorber 41. Cooling of the generator-absorb er 41 will cause the absorbent therein to absorb the refrigerant in the system. As the refrigerant is vaporized within the evaporator-condenser 43, it will flow thru pipe 45 into the valve 50. Since the outlet to the pipes 46 and 54 at this time are closed, the refrigerant nected with a drain pipe 82.

must pass thru pipe 53 and therefore must pass thru the lower portion of the generatorabsorber 41 where it is absorbed by the absorbent as it bubbles thru same. T his cycle of operation continues until substantially all the refrigerant is evaporated from the evaporator-condenser 43, and after the cooling compartment increases in temperature the ice within the ice cup 73 melts to release the ice stud 74. Since substantially all of the re frigerant medium has now been absorbed by the absorbent within the generator-absorber 41, that portion of the refrigerating apparatus within the machine compartment 33 will over-balance that portion which is within the cooling compartment 22, whereby the entire refrigerating apparatus 34 will rock counterclockwise about pivot 37. When this occurs terminals 7 5 and 76 will make electrical connections with the mercury in the cups 77 and 78 to complete the circuit to the heating coil. When this rocking operation takes place, the receiver 47 is also moved whereby the water from the tank 60 will be conducted to coinpartment 55. Water will then flow thru the pipe 44 into the reservoir 48, from there it is distributed into pipes' 49 where it will be conducted over those portions of the tubes 65 which form the passages 67. This water will then flow thru the cut-away portion of the receiver 69' and into said receiver whence it flows into the tubular arm 42 which is con- The Water from the drain pipe 82 flows into the basin 80.

When the electrical coil is energized the absorbent and refrigerant solution within the generator-absorber 41 will be heated and the refrigerant will vaporize. The vaporized refrigerant will then pass thru pipe 54 into valve 50. The valve 50 is now tilted and the outlet to pipe 46 will be opened and gas will then be permitted to pass thru said pipe into the head 51, whence it is conductedinto the evaporator-condenser tubes 65. The heating cycle continues until substantially all of the refrigerant is driven out of the absorbent, at which time the refrigerant within the evaporator-condenser 43 will increase the weight thereof sufliciently to over-balance that portion of the refrigerating apparatus 34 contained in the machine compartment 33 to cause the refrigerating apparatus to rock into the position shown. The tubes 65 extend a substantial distaneewithin'the head 51 so as to increase the capacity of the tube 6521s is clearlyshown in Fig. 3. I

When the refrigerating apparatus 34 is tilted to the position shown. the electrical circuit is again broken to the heating coil and water is conducted to the generator-abso1'ber 41. 'After the eVaporator-condenser 43 be comes cool due to the absorption of gas within the generator-absorber 41, the water within the ice lock cup 7 3 will freeze and lock stud 74 in position before theweight of the gen- Moreno orator, due to the absorption of the gas, is-sufficient to overbalance the weight of the evaporator-condenser 43. In this manner the refrigerating apparatus 34 is maintained in the shown position, even. after the weight of the' generator-absoi'bent is suficient to over ing the tubes in pairs with a space between each pair, air can come in contact with a relatively large portion of the surface of said tubes while at the same time this arrangement provides a passage for water, which water will 0. ver a substantial portion of the surface of said tubes 65. Air which is adapted to circulate between the compartments 2}. and 22 passes out of tube 28 and downwardly thru the spaces 71 between the tubes 65 and 1s thereby cooled and then passes thru tube 29 into the compartment 21.

By arranging the tubes in pairs with a space therebetween the tubes 65 can be welded readily to the tubular arm 42 and the head 51.

lhe evaporator-condenser i3 is made relatively short in length withoutmaterially decreasing the capacity thereof. By entending the tube 65 a substantial distance within the head 51, the capacity thereof is increased.

While the form-of embodiment of the preson": invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted. all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cnntain or adapted to receive refrigerant, sard container having channels for circulating liquid cooling medium in contact with its outer surface and passages through the container adapted to permit circulation of air in contact with its outer surface.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, a con: tamer adapted to receive refrigerant, said container comprising portions spaced apart to provide one or more passages through the container for circulating air in contact with its surface, the spaced portion having channels for circulating liquid cooling me dium in contact with the outer surface oft-he container.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, in combination, means for alternately supplying and receiving a refrigerant, and a device connected with the means, said refrigerant being adapted to alternately condense and vaporize in said device for cooling purposes, said device having a plurality of groups of refrig' erant tubes, the groups being spaced to pro-*- vide air-circulating passages thru the device,

and the tubes in each group being contiguous to provide passages for a cooling liquid along the tubes. Y

4. in a refrigerating apparatus, a containor adapted to receive refrigerant, said container comprising portions spaced apart to provide one or more passages through the container for circulating air in contact with its surface, and means for circulating-"liquid cooling medium in contact with the spaced portions and for normally preventing such liquid from entering the air passages.

5. in. refrigerating apparatus a container adapted to receive refrigerant, said container having one 'or more substantially horizontal channels for circulating liquid cooling medium in contact with. its outer surface and surfaces.

7. in refrigeratin apparatus a container adapted to receive re rigerant, said container comprising a plurality of groups oi tubes, the

groups being spaced apart to provide air passages through the container, and the tubes in each group being contiguous, the adjacent portions of the contiguous tubes providing troughs for the circulation of liquid cooling medium. l

8. ln refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a cooling compartment, a compartment for containing articles to be cooled, said apparatus having ducts for the passage ofair between the compartments, and a container for refrigerant interposed between said ducts, said container having channels for circulating liquid cooling medium in contact with its outer surface, and passages through the container for circulating air in contact with its surface.

9. In refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a cooling compartment, a compartment for containing articles to be cooled, said apparatus having duct-s for the passage of air between the compartments, and a substan tially horizontal container for refrigerant interposed between said ducts, said container having channels for circulating liquid cooling medium in contact with its outer surface, and passages through the container for circulating air in contact with its surface, one of said ducts terminating above, and the other below the container.

10. In a refrigerating apparatus, a. condens er-evaporator adapted to receive refrigerant and to evaporate the refrigerant received, said condenser-evaporator having passages ice through it adapted to permit the circulation of air in contact with its outer surface and having channels for circulating liquid cooling medium in contact with its outer surface.

11. In refrigeratin apparatus a container adapted to receive refrigerant, said container comprising a plurality of conduits for refrigerant spaced apart to provide one or more air passages through the container, the upper sides of said conduits being formed as troughs adapted to circulate liquid cooling medium.

12. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a condenser-evaporator, and means for alternately supplyin refrigerant to and withdrawing refrigerant iron: the condenser-evaporator, said condenser-evaporator having channels for circulating liquid condensing medium in contact with its outer surface when said means is supplying refrigerant, and having passages through it to permit the circulation of air in contact with its surface to cool said air when said means is Withdrawing refrigerant.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

HARRY B. HULL. 

